Bill Text: HI SB2190 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating To Tourism.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-24 - Referred to EET/WTL, WAM. [SB2190 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SB2190-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2190
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to tourism.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that many state and county parks charge entrance and parking fees to non-Hawaii residents.  Currently, fees are set according to four categories:  monument, park, recreational area, and wilderness park.  Collected revenues are used as a funding mechanism for site maintenance and improvements.

     The legislature also finds that critics argue that because the fees are not set based on visitor data at specific locations, the fees do not effectively reduce congestion at popular public tourist sites.  Setting different fees, i.e. charging the "market price" of attendance, to accommodate for different locations, travel seasons, and times of day is a more effective method of destination management.  Setting varied fees and collecting them in the most efficient manner requires quantitative data on non-resident visitors at popular public sites.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a tourist destination congestion management task force to study tourist congestion and determine the appropriate fees to be charged at various popular tourist destinations.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There shall be established within the department of business, economic development, and tourism, the tourist destination congestion management task force.  The task force shall:

     (1)  Estimate the number of non-residents that utilize popular public sites, market price for entrance to popular public tourist sites, including parks, beaches, and nature reserves at different times of the year, days of the week, and times of the day;

     (2)  Explore innovative methods to disincentivize congestion at popular public tourist sites, including raising or implementing parking fees, entrance fees, and mandatory paid reservation time slots;

     (3)  Investigate feasible ways in which new technologies can be implemented to assist in destination management;

     (4)  Evaluate methods in which collected revenues can be directed back into the maintenance of popular public tourist sites or surrounding communities; and

     (5)  Determine the effect residents have in contributing to congestion in public tourist sites.

     The task force shall make recommendations to the legislature addressing any other issue that the task force deems appropriate to address in accordance with this Act.

     (b)  The director of business, economic development, and tourism or their designee shall be the chair of the tourist destination congestion management task force.  The task force shall include the following members or their designees:

     (1)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources;

     (2)  President of the University of Hawaii system;

     (3)  An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

     (4)  An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, to be appointed by the president of the senate;

     (5)  A representative from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and

     (6)  The mayors of each county.

     The Hawaii tourism authority shall provide administrative support to the tourist destination congestion management task force.

     (c)  The tourist destination congestion management task force, in conjunction with the department of business, economic development, and tourism, shall submit a report to the legislature with findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the purposes of this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2024.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Tourism Destination Congestion Management Task Force; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes the Tourism Destination Congestion Management Task Force to estimate the market price for entrance to popular public tourist sites, explore innovative methods to disincentivize congestion at popular public tourist sites, investigate feasible ways in which new technologies can be implemented to assist in destination management, evaluate methods in which collected revenues can be directed back into the maintenance of popular public tourist sites or surrounding communities, and determine the contribution residents make to tourist congestion.  Repeals on June 30, 2024.

 

 

 

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